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Culture War Roundup for the week of February 27, 2023

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Recently the US city of New York, decided that BLM protestors that felt victimized by the police preventing from running amok, deserve 21500 USD (28267877.5 KRW) each.

Such a payout somewhat changes the calculus of participating in protests, peaceful or otherwise. Previously by joining a protest one showed willingness to sacrifice time and risk being temporarily detained.

But now the what the Hot Coffee Incident was in common perception notable for, harm suffered being greatly outweighed by compensation, has come true. Thus making protesting a net-gain, unless one views publicly supporting BLM to be so immoral, as there existing no sum high enough for which one would do it.

In related olds, DisruptJ6 protestors, despite alleging molestation going on for a longer period of time, and interfering with bodily autonomy in much more invasive ways, have yet to be given money.

So, when Group A files a lawsuit and reaches a settlement, some other group which has not filed a lawsuit has somehow been treated unjustly? Perhaps you should wait until Group B files a lawsuit and we see what happens, before you get all outraged.

If we observe disparate outcomes between two social groupings, it's possible that these disparities arise from different behavior on the part of the groups' members. Alternatively, if we also observe that one of the groups enjoys a position of power over the other, and demonstrates strong antipathy for the other, we might consider the hypothesis that the disparities arise from some form of discrimination and oppression.

With a system as complicated as modern society, outcomes are the yardstick by which processes are judged. Failure to design, maintain, and enforce these systems results in people losing confidence in them. Once lost, such confidence is difficult to regain. Priors are established, and shape perception moving forward.

we might consider the hypothesis that the disparities arise from some form of discrimination and oppression.

Yes, but only if the two groups are similarly positioned. If Group A gets $X from the settlement of a lawsuit while Group B gets $Y, the difference might have arisen from some form of discrimination and oppression. But if Group B has not yet filed a lawsuit, the hypothesis is nonsensical, because it is premature. That’s why I said OP "should wait until Group B files a lawsuit and we see what happens, before you get all outraged"

It’s also possible that they don’t file a lawsuit because they know how skewed the system is. In a situation where the groups are already obviously treated differently, it makes little sense to go to the expense of hiring a lawyer. A black guy denied entrance to an elite university because he lives in South Africa under apartheid isn’t going to sue the school for it.